Another day of tired feet.....

Botanical Gardens:  I'm still trying to get outdoor things done while the weather is still good.  This morning I headed out to the Botanical Gardens. I didn't expect to see a lot of flowers in bloom and I was correct although I still enjoyed it.

There were a lot of red flowers including poinsettias everywhere.  I have never seen an Amaryllis this big - it was at least 2 feet tall above the container it was in. 

This was different!  The "chess board" was made out of 3' squares. You could either play chess or checkers on it. 

Way back on the property, in some woods, was a "bird house". It was enclosed, the humans were in the house and there was a glass wall to watch the birds. The birds were loose and came and went. There were a couple of squares cut out in the wall so you could stick your camera through to take better pics. Don't know what species this guy is but he was pretty. 

The orange thing on the right is half an orange.  They had put the oranges out everywhere and the birds seemed to like them. 

This guy had just been chased by 3 other squirrels but hung onto his acorn. 

San Fernando Cathedral:

This cathedral is one of the oldest active cathedrals in the United States. It was build around 1738-1750 by Canary Island settlers. Over 5,000 people attend mass here every week.

Inside the cathedral looking towards the alter. 

The alter area is beyond beautiful. 

Just inside the door is this casket that contains the remains of 3 of the Alamo hero's - Travis, Crockett and Bowie. 

The cathedral is only about 2 blocks from my hotel and I can hear the carols they started playing around 4 p.m. today. Nice touch for Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas everyone!